New Zealand character actor Sam Neill has passed away at 78. The unfortunate news comes just four years after Neill began dealing with stage 3 blood cancer.
Following a breakout in Australian period-drama The Sullivan’s, it was 1981’s Omen III: The Final Conflict and ITV’s miniseries Reailly: Ace of Spies, the latter of which scored Neill a Golden Globe nomination, that broke Neill out into a major player. Neill’s biggest roles included Officer Borodin in The Hunt For Red October, opposite Sean Connery, and as Dr. Grant in Spielberg’s Jurassic Park, which launched him into superstardom as the star of one of the biggest film franchises of all-time. But in the same year as Jurassic Park, perhaps his best work was in 1993’s The Piano, the independent Jane Campion film opposite Holly Hunter, where he plays the husband-to-be in an arranged marriage to an elective mute. Neill’s later career peaked with Netflix’s Peaky Blinders, introducing him to a later generation as part of one of the biggest shows within the zeitgeist.
Neill had defeated his cancer about a year ago. It is unclear what led to the untimely and somewhat surprising passing. Neill was actively working, with at least two films set for posthumous release, including 2027’s Godzilla x Kong: Supernova and an upcoming picture called The Last Resort, co-starring Daisy Ridley.
"It is with immense sadness that the whānau of Sam Neill share the news of his passing on Monday 13th July 2026 in Sydney, Australia,” said an official social media statement. “Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life. The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer free. The family would like to express their deepest gratitude to the staff at St Vincent's Private Hospital for their incredible care. More details will be shared later, but for now, on behalf of the family, we ask that you respect their privacy as they navigate this immeasurable loss.”
DSR/CBC will keep you updated as more information comes available.
Jameus Mooney is an entertainment writer for Comicbook Clique, having covered the entertainment industry for years. You can follow him on Twitter here, and Letterboxd here. You can also listen to his horror podcast, The 2:17 Horror Podcast, at the DeathArts XIII YouTube channel.